China highlights information sharing in future copyright law enforcement

[Len]

BEIJING, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislators on Monday reviewed a report on the enforcement of the Copyright Law. The report suggests information sharing between law enforcement and justice departments should be strengthened to protect copyrights.

The report, compiled by a group of inspectors organized by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, advised governments at all levels to establish a nationwide system for copyright registration.

Copyright registration certificates from one place often fail to be recognized by law enforcement and justice departments in other places, which is a weak point of copyright protection, the report said.

The report also pointed out that copyright owners' enthusiasm to defend their rights tend to be hampered by the high cost of defense, lengthy waiting for the hearing of lawsuits, difficulties in collecting evidence and low compensation.

A mechanism should be established to incorporate copyright infringement into credit records of businesses and individuals, said the report, adding that those found guilty of violations would be punished.

It also proposed that amendments to the Copyright Law, which was put into effect in 1991, should be worked on actively and a complete draft law for the NPC Standing Committee to deliberate on be compiled as soon as possible.

From 2013 to 2016, the number of copyright registrations in China doubled from over one million to more than two million, the report said.

From 2005 to 2016, 508 million pirated products were confiscated nationwide in campaigns led by the State Council, China's cabinet, the report showed.

In the six years from 2010 to 2016, courts in China closed 368,611 civil cases and 6,746 criminal cases on copyright infringement on the first trial basis, according to the report.

Since 2010, public security departments across the country have cracked almost 10,000 criminal cases on copyright violations, detaining over 11,000 suspects, the report said.

China has long been criticised for intellectual property right violations. In recent years, authorities in the country have stepped up efforts to crack down on infringements.